Recording

Recording didn't go great last night. I need to figure out a better setup to pick up the bass. I always end up having to amplify the lines in the software and that makes it a little muddy and distorted. I am pretty happy with my bass line for one of Tony's songs. This was the first time I've really used muting effectively, I think. Maybe I'll have time later tonight to tweak my recording environment.

Creative Juices Flowin'

Last night I was playing my bass and thinking that I really needed some new music to experiment with. Today Tony sent me 2 new songs. I love when creativity works in tandem like that.

In a few minutes I'm going to my friends' house for their one-year-old's first birthday party. Then I have practice for a church gig tonight. It looks like Tony's songs will have to wait a day or two before I get to play with them.

Rock -N- Roll High School

Yesterday I was talking with someone about the added challenges of working with very creative people all of the time. And it got me to thinking about creative education - music, art, whatever - and wondering why certain skills aren't emphasized.

If I ever decide to open Carrie's School of Music, there would be only three basic areas of study, and all 3 would be required.

1. Performance: Everyone would be required to perform all of the time, with rotating groups of students to give them as much experience as possible. I think I would require a minimum of 2 performances per month per person, regardless of who it's with or if it's solo. To support this, there would of course be the regular theory-related courses and solo instruction. There would also be workshop-type classes to teach practical, applied theory to how you perform.

2. Production: Everyone would be required to complete at least basic courses in music production. They would be required to know their way around a studio, from the nuts & bolts of recording to the more creative process of producing. And then additional advanced classes would be available for students interested in production.

3. Business: Here is where most creative educations fail, unless the student specifically wants to go in to music business and plans accordingly. Everyone would be required to take business courses. They would study topics like business models of touring bands and recording studios, management, public relations, and legal stuff like contracts.

I think that would be a successful music program because it would train the students to actually get out into the field andhow to manage themselves and others once they were there.